Risk Factors Dashboard

Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.

Risk Factors - GPI

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Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Form 10-K.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no responsibility and expressly disclaims any duty, to update any such statements, whether as a result of new information, new developments or otherwise, or to publicly release the result of any revision the forward-looking statements after the date they are made, except to the extent required by law.


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PART I
Item 1. Business
General
Group 1 Automotive, Inc. is a leading operator in the automotive retail industry. We sell and/or lease new and used cars and light trucks; arrange related vehicle financing; sell service and insurance contracts; provide automotive maintenance and repair services; and sell vehicle parts retail and wholesale. We have operations in geographically diverse markets that extend across 17 states in the U.S. and 62 towns and cities in the U.K. As of December 31, 2025, our retail network consists of 145 dealerships and 21 collision centers in the U.S. and 109 dealerships and 11 collision centers in the U.K.
Dealership Operations
Our new vehicle revenues include new vehicle sales and lease transactions, completed at our dealerships or via our digital platform. We sell retail used vehicles directly to our customers at our dealerships and via our digital platform and wholesale our used vehicles at third-party auctions. We sell retail used vehicles directly to our customers at our dealerships and via AcceleRide® and wholesale our used vehicles at third-party auctions. We sell replacement parts and provide both warranty and non-warranty maintenance and repair services at each of our franchised dealerships, as well as provide collision repair services at the 32 collision centers that we operate. We also sell parts to wholesale customers. Revenues from our F&I operations consist primarily of fees for arranging financing and selling vehicle service and insurance contracts in connection with the retail sale of a new or used vehicle. We offer a wide variety of third-party finance, vehicle service and insurance products in a convenient manner at competitive prices.
The following charts present total revenues and gross profit contribution from our operations by new vehicles, used vehicles, parts and service and F&I for the year ended December 31, 2025 (“Current Year”):


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The following chart presents our diversity of new vehicle unit sales by manufacturer for the Current Year:
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The following table shows our new vehicle unit sales geographic mix for the Current Year and our franchise count as of December 31, 2025:

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Business Strategy
Our integrated strategy driven by four pillars — combining local market focus, operational excellence, differentiated parts and service business and disciplined capital allocation — positions Group 1 to deliver sustainable revenue growth, robust free cash flow and meaningful long-term value for our stockholders.
Local Focus
We believe automotive retailing is fundamentally local, and that success is earned market by market through strong customer relationships, brand representation and service capabilities. Our strategy emphasizes a local-market focus to maximize lifetime customer value across new and used vehicle sales, parts, service and collision operations, which we may not fully realize when vehicles are sold outside our markets.
While we operate at scale across the U.S. and U.K., our strategy is centered on building density within defined markets, allowing us to better serve customers, improve retention and increase share of garage across the vehicle ownership lifecycle.
Our clustered market approach enables us to offer customers multiple brands and service options within a local area, reducing reliance on any single manufacturer while capturing evolving consumer preferences, and the changing vehicle needs for families. Local scale also enhances marketing efficiency, inventory management and customer loyalty, while supporting a consistent customer experience across our stores.
By leveraging centralized processes where appropriate and maintaining local accountability at the dealership level, we believe our local focus improves throughput, reduces costs and strengthens long-term customer trust.
Operational Excellence
Operational excellence is foundational to our strategy and underpins our ability to deliver strong financial performance in varying market conditions. We focus on optimizing operations at each dealership to achieve full rooftop potential through standardization of key processes, sharing of best practices and disciplined execution.
We continue to invest in technology, data and process improvements that enhance both customer and employee efficiency, including centralized customer experience enhancements from digital retailing tools such as AI-enabled appointment setting and virtual F&I solutions. These investments allow us to scale best practices quickly, structurally lower costs and improve consistency across our operations.
Our size and market density amplify the benefits of operational excellence by enabling in-market efficiencies related to used vehicle purchasing and transfers, reconditioning, marketing investment, procurement and staffing. We believe our variable cost structure and focus on productivity provide flexibility to respond to changes in the macroeconomic environment while protecting margins.
Differentiated Parts and Service Business
Our parts and service business is a critical driver of profitability, stability and long-term customer relationships. Aftersales represents the core of our differentiated business model, providing a resilient and counter-cyclical complement to vehicle retailing.
We focus on increasing service retention across the ownership lifecycle by delivering high-quality, fair-priced, and timely service supported by factory-trained technicians, strong customer engagement and consistent execution. Our scale enables us to invest in technician recruitment and retention, training academies, scheduling flexibility and facility enhancements that support productivity and customer satisfaction.
Technology and process standardization further strengthen our parts and service operations by improving appointment access, billing accuracy, workflow management and service-to-sales integration. We believe our differentiated aftersales capabilities provide a compelling competitive advantage and a durable source of cash flow.
Disciplined Capital Planning and Allocation
Disciplined capital allocation is central to our strategy and reflects our commitment to deploying stockholder capital toward the highest return opportunities. We evaluate all capital uses — including acquisitions, capital expenditures, share repurchases, dividends, debt reduction, real estate investments and organic growth — through a consistent return-based framework.
Our acquisition strategy focuses on high-quality dealerships and brands in growth markets that complement our existing portfolio and benefit from our scale and operational capabilities. We prioritize transactions that are economically accretive, offer strong brand and geographic fit and enable additional efficiencies through market density and strong execution.

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In parallel, we actively optimize our portfolio through selective dispositions of underperforming or non-strategic assets, allowing us to recycle capital into higher-return opportunities. Our strong balance sheet and low rent-adjusted leverage provide flexibility to pursue acquisitions while continuing to return capital to stockholders through share repurchases and dividends.
Competition
The automotive retail industry is highly competitive across all our service lines. Consumers have a number of choices when deciding where and how to (i) purchase and/or lease a new or used vehicle as well as select related vehicle financing and insurance products; (ii) purchase related parts and accessories; and (iii) procure vehicle maintenance and repair services. We believe the principal competitive factors in the automotive retailing industry are location, service, price, selection, online capabilities, established customer relationships and reputation.
New Vehicle Sales
In the new vehicle market, our dealerships compete with other franchised dealerships in their market areas, as well as auto brokers, leasing companies and internet companies that provide referrals to, or broker vehicle sales with other dealerships or customers. Our principal new vehicle dealer competitors also have franchise agreements with the various vehicle manufacturers and, as such, generally have access to new vehicles on the same terms as we do. We do not have any cost advantage in purchasing new vehicles from vehicle manufacturers, and our current franchise agreements do not grant us the exclusive right to sell a manufacturer’s product within a given geographic area. Several companies are currently manufacturing EVs for sale primarily through the internet, under a direct-to-consumer model, without using the traditional dealer-network or are considering such a strategy, including some of our OEM partners. Certain of our vehicle manufacturers in the U.K. transitioned to an agency model for selling new vehicles. recently transitioned to an agency model for selling new vehicles. Under an agency model, our franchised dealerships receive a fee for facilitating the sale of a new vehicle to a customer but no longer record the vehicle sales price as revenue, record vehicles in inventory, incur loaner expense, or incur floorplan interest expense, as has been historical practice.
Used Vehicle Sales
In the used vehicle market, our dealerships compete both in their local markets and nationally with other franchised dealers, large multi-location used vehicle retailers, local independent used vehicle dealers, automobile rental agencies and private parties for the supply and resale of used vehicles.
Parts and Service
We believe the principal competitive factors in the parts and service business are the quality of customer service, timeliness of service, the use of factory-approved replacement parts, familiarity with a manufacturer’s brands and models, location, price, the availability and competence of technicians and the availability of training programs to enhance such expertise. In the parts and service market, our dealerships compete with other franchised dealers to perform warranty maintenance and repairs, conduct manufacturer recall services and sell factory replacement parts. Our dealerships also compete with other automobile dealers, franchised and independent service center chains and independent repair shops for non-warranty repair and maintenance business. In addition, our dealerships sell replacement and aftermarket parts both locally and nationally in competition with franchised and independent retail and wholesale parts outlets. A number of regional or national chains offer selected parts and services at prices that may be lower than ours. Our collision centers compete with other large, multi-location companies, as well as local, independent, collision service operations.
F&I
We believe the principal competitive factors in the F&I business are interest rates, product availability and affordability, product knowledge, flexibility in contract length and ease of consumer understanding. We face competition in arranging financing for our customers’ vehicle purchases from a broad range of unaffiliated third-party financial institutions. Many financial institutions now offer their own menu of F&I products, providing an alternative to our product offering, which may reduce our profits from the sale of these products through reduced penetration. In certain cases, our customers in the normal course of business can cancel previously purchased F&I products resulting in the charge back to us by the product provider of a portion of the profit earned on the sale of those products.

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Manufacturers’ Relationships and Agreements
Each of our U.S. dealerships operates under one or more franchise agreements with vehicle manufacturers or authorized distributors. The franchise agreements grant the franchised automobile dealership a non-exclusive right to sell the manufacturers or distributor’s brand of vehicles and offer related parts and service within a specified market area. These franchise agreements also grant franchised dealerships the right to use the manufacturer’s or distributor’s trademarks in connection with their operations, and impose numerous operational requirements and restrictions relating to, among other things, inventory levels, working capital levels, the sales process, sales performance requirements, customer satisfaction standards, marketing and branding, facility standards and signage, personnel, changes in management, change in control and monthly financial reporting.
Most of our U.S. dealerships’ franchise agreements continue indefinitely and those with finite terms are renewed or superseded by a new agreement. In the U.K., many of our agreements have two-year rolling terms. Each of our franchise agreements may be terminated or not renewed by the manufacturer for a variety of reasons, including network consolidation efforts, unapproved changes of ownership or management and performance deficiencies in such areas as sales volume, sales effectiveness and customer satisfaction. In most cases, manufacturers have renewed the franchises upon expiration so long as the dealership is in compliance with the terms of the agreement. We diligently work with our manufacturers to address any performance issues.
Our dealership service departments perform vehicle repairs and service for customers under manufacturer warranties. We are reimbursed for those repairs and service by the manufacturer. Some manufacturers offer rebates to new vehicle customers, which we are required, under specific program rules, to adequately document, support and collect. In addition, some manufacturers provide us with incentives to order and/or sell certain models and/or volumes of inventory over designated periods of time. Under the terms of our dealership franchise agreements, the respective manufacturers are able to perform warranty, incentive and rebate audits and charge us back for unsupported or non-qualifying warranty repairs, rebates or incentives.
In addition to the individual dealership franchise agreements discussed above, we have entered into framework agreements in the U.S. with most major vehicle manufacturers and distributors. These agreements impose a number of restrictions on our operations, including our ability to make acquisitions and obtain financing, and on our management. These agreements also contain change of control provisions related to the ownership of our common stock. For a discussion of these restrictions and the risks related to our relationships with vehicle manufacturers, please refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Governmental Regulations
Automotive and Other Laws and Regulations
We operate in a highly regulated industry. A number of laws and regulations applicable to automotive companies affect our business and conduct, including, but not limited to our sales, operations, financing, insurance, advertising and employment practices. These laws and regulations include state franchise laws and regulations, consumer protection laws and other extensive laws and regulations applicable to new and used motor vehicle dealers. Additionally, in every jurisdiction in which we operate, we must obtain various permits and licenses in order to conduct our business.
In general, the U.S. jurisdictions in which we operate have automotive dealership franchise laws, which generally provide that it is unlawful for a manufacturer or distributor to terminate or not renew a franchise unless “good cause” exists. As a result, it generally is difficult, outside of bankruptcy, for a manufacturer or distributor to terminate, or not renew, a franchise under these laws, which were designed to protect dealers.
The U.K. generally does not have automotive dealership franchise laws and, as a result, our U.K. dealerships operate without these types of specific protections. However, similar protections may be available as a matter of general U.K. contractual law. In addition, our U.K. dealerships are subject to U.K. antitrust rules prohibiting certain restrictions on the sale of new vehicles and spare parts and on the provision of repairs and maintenance. For instance, authorized dealers are generally able to, subject to manufacturer facility requirements, relocate or add additional facilities, offer multiple brands in the same facility, allow the operation of service facilities independent of new car sales facilities and ease restrictions on cross supplies (including on transfers of dealerships) between existing authorized dealers within the network. However, under the U.K. Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Order 2023 (applicable until May 31, 2029), certain restrictions on dealerships are permissible in franchise agreements provided the agreements satisfy applicable conditions under U.K. competition law and do not contain prohibited restrictions, including, for example, restrictions relating to resale pricing, territorial or customer sales limitations, or access to the automotive aftermarket.

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In the U.K., the FCA regulates financial services firms and financial markets, including our activities in acting as broker for the financing of vehicle sales., the Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) regulates financial services firms and financial markets, including our activities in acting as broker for the financing of vehicle sales. In January 2024, the FCA announced that it planned to undertake a formal review into the historic use of discretionary commission arrangements (“DCAs”) amid concerns that the practice of linking brokers’ commissions to the interest rate charged to customers may have been unfair to customers, resulting in customers paying too much for their car loans.
Additionally in the U.K., on October 25, 2024, the U.K. Court of Appeal issued a judgment in the three joint appeals for Johnson v Firstrand Bank Ltd, Wrench v Firstrand Bank Ltd and Hopcraft v Close Brothers Ltd (collectively, the “COA litigation”), finding that the claimants in those cases were entitled to be paid a sum equivalent to the undisclosed commission paid by their lenders to the dealerships from which they acquired their cars, plus interest. Underlying the Court’s judgment were the findings that, among other things, brokers owe fiduciary and/or disinterested duties to customers, which, among other things, require disclosure to the customer of the rate and amount of the commission paid and the basis for its calculation. As a result, the failure to provide such full commission disclosure effectively results in the failure to obtain a customer’s fully informed consent to the payment of commission. The judgment also appears to extend beyond DCAs to address all commission disclosures generally. Finally, the U.K. Court of Appeal held where there is a failure to disclose, lenders and dealerships who act as brokers are jointly and severally liable for the repayment of the commission. Court of Appeal held where there is a failure to disclose, lenders and dealerships who acted as brokers are jointly and severally liable for the repayment of the commission.
After the U.K. Court of Appeal denied an initial application for permission to appeal, the motor finance dealers involved requested, and were granted permission, to appeal the decision directly to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. On August 1, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom issued its judgment in the COA litigation. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that dealers do not generally owe fiduciary duties but confirmed that, in some cases, commission arrangements that were not properly disclosed to customers could be treated as creating an unfair relationship under the Consumer Credit Act. On August 3, 2025, the FCA announced it will consult in October 2025 on a possible industry-wide redress scheme for affected consumers. On October 7, 2025, following the Supreme Court’s judgment, the FCA published Consultation Paper CP25/27 proposing an industry-wide redress scheme for motor finance customers who may have been treated unfairly due to inadequate disclosure of commission arrangements. Under the FCA’s proposed redress scheme, lenders would bear primary responsibility for delivering the proposed scheme including, identifying affected customers, assessing potential liability and administering and paying redress. The FCA has indicated that brokers will be required to support lenders by providing relevant documentation and information necessary for lenders to implement the scheme. The consultation closed on December 12, 2025, with final rules expected in early 2026, after which firms will be required to begin implementing the scheme. The FCA has indicated that compensation payments to eligible customers are expected to begin during 2026, and it has extended the pause on complaint-handling for most motor finance complaints until May 31, 2026. Therefore, at this stage, the final scope, timelines and operational expectations remain subject to the FCA’s final rules. Finally, the FCA has noted that whilst lenders will be responsible for compensation payments, brokers may still face contractual recourse obligations from lenders where such arrangements apply.
Data Privacy
We are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect the information of clients, customers, employees and other third parties that we collect and maintain. Some of the more significant regulations that we are required to comply with include the U.K.’s General Data Protection Regulation (“U.K. GDPR”), the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended and enhanced effective January 1, 2023 by the California Privacy Rights Act (as so amended, the “CCPA”), and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) Safeguards Rule. GDPR”) and, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended and enhanced effective January 1, 2023 by the California Privacy Rights Act (as so amended, the “CCPA”), and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) Safeguards Rule. These regulations provide for various data protection requirements related to protection of customer’s PII, notice requirements related to data breaches and obligations to inform a consumer, at or before collection, of the purpose and intended use of the collection and to delete a consumer’s personal information upon request. If an organization violates the U.K. GDPR, the organization can be fined up to 4% of annual global turnover or 20 million euros, whichever is greater. The CCPA allows the California Attorney General to bring actions against non-compliant businesses with fines of $2,500 per violation or, if intentional, up to $7,500 per violation and permits a private right of action for certain violations of laws. The FTC Safeguards Rule contains procedural, technical and personnel requirements that financial institutions, including dealers, must satisfy to meet their information security obligations.

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Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Laws and Regulations
Our business activities in the U.S. and the U.K. are subject to stringent federal, state and local laws, regulations and other controls governing specific health and safety criteria to address worker protection, the release of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. Our operations involve the use, handling and storage of materials such as motor oil and filters, transmission fluids, antifreeze, refrigerants, paints, thinners, batteries, cleaning products, lubricants, degreasing agents, tires and fuel. We contract for recycling and/or disposal of used fluids, filters and other waste materials generated by our operations.
These laws, regulations and controls may impose numerous obligations on our operations including the acquisition of permits to conduct regulated activities, the imposition of restrictions on where or how to manage or dispose of used products and wastes, the incurring of capital expenditures to limit or prevent releases of such material and the imposition of substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations or attributable to former operations. For example, in the U.S., most of our dealerships utilize storage tanks that are subject to testing, containment, upgrading and removal regulations under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, analogous state statutes and their implementing regulations. Failure to comply with these laws, regulations and permits may result in the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of investigatory, remedial and corrective action obligations or increase of capital expenditures, restrictions, delays and cancellations in permitting or in the performance or expansion of projects and the issuance of injunctions limiting or preventing some or all of our operations in affected areas. Additionally, certain environmental laws may result in imposition of strict joint and several liability, which could cause us to become liable as a result of our conduct that was lawful at the time it occurred or the conduct of, or conditions caused by, prior operators or other third parties. For instance, an accidental release from one of our oil or fuel storage tanks could subject us to substantial liabilities arising from environmental cleanup and restoration costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and other third parties for personal injury and property damage and fines or penalties for related violations of environmental laws or regulations. For instance, an accidental release from one of our storage tanks could subject us to substantial liabilities arising from environmental cleanup and restoration costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and other third parties for personal injury and property damage and fines or penalties for related violations of environmental laws or regulations.
Properties that we now or have in the past owned or leased in the U.S. are subject to the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and similar state statutes. These statutes can impose strict joint and several liability for cleanup costs on those that are considered to have contributed to the release of a hazardous substance, including for historic spills that occurred prior to our ownership of our properties even if we did not know of, or did not cause the release of such hazardous substances. These statutes can impose strict and joint and several liability for cleanup costs on those that are considered to have contributed to the release of a hazardous substance, including for historic spills that occurred prior to our ownership of our properties even if we did not know of, or did not cause the release of such hazardous substances. We also are subject to the Clean Water Act, analogous state statutes, and their implementing regulations which, among other things, prohibit discharges of pollutants into regulated waters, require containment of potential discharges of oil or hazardous substances and require preparation of spill contingency plans. Air emissions from some of our operations, such as vehicle painting, may be subject to the federal Clean Air Act and analogous laws. Laws and regulations protecting the environment are complex and generally become more stringent over time, which may result in increased costs for future environmental compliance and remediation. Comparable laws and regulations have been enacted in the U. Comparable laws and regulations have been enacted in the U. K. Certain health and safety standards promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor and related state agencies also apply to our operations.
In recent years, the threat of climate change has attracted considerable attention in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere globally. As a result, numerous proposals have been made at the international, national and state levels of government, in locations affecting our business, to monitor and limit existing emissions of GHGs, as well as to restrict or eliminate such future emissions. At the international level, the United Nations-sponsored Paris Agreement is a non-binding agreement for nations to limit their GHG emissions through individually determined reduction goals every five years after 2020, by calling for various countries to phase out fossil fuels and subsidies related to the same, though none have been legally binding. Subsequent conferences have sought to build on the Paris Agreement, a United Nations-sponsored, non-binding agreement for nations to limit their GHG emissions through individually determined reduction goals every five years after 2020, by calling for various countries to phase out fossil fuels and subsidies related to the same, though none have been legally binding. Although the U.S. is not currently a party to the Paris Agreement, the U.K. is committed to the Paris Agreement and has announced a ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars after 2030, with all new cars and vans required to be fully zero-emission by 2035. However, proposals have since been made to rescind or dramatically scale back the U.K. ban. Similar planned bans have been announced in states such as California, New Mexico, Massachusetts and New York.
Additional regulation of GHG emissions could increase the cost of the vehicles sold to us. Additional regulation of GHG emissions could increase the cost of the vehicles sold to us. Government bans or restrictions on certain vehicle types could impact the mix of vehicles that we offer for sale. Consumer concerns regarding climate change could also alter consumer preferences and adversely affect our ability to market and sell vehicles. These developments could increase our costs of operation as well as reduce our volume of business. The full impact of these actions is uncertain at this time, though these international agreements have the potential to result in increased pressure from financial institutions and other stakeholders to eliminate or reduce fossil fuel use and GHG emissions related to the same.

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Gas and diesel-powered automobiles are a source of GHG emissions and in the recent past, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), together with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), implemented GHG emissions limits on vehicles manufactured for operation in the U.S. Vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. are subject to regulations by the EPA and the NHTSA that establish corporate average fuel economy (“CAFE”) standards applicable to light-duty vehicles. In March 2024, the EPA finalized standards for light and medium-duty vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, pickups, sedans and sport utility vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond.On March 20, 2024, the EPA finalized new emissions standards for light and medium-duty vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, pickups, sedans and sport utility vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond. The final rule sets new, strict standards intended to reduce air pollutant emissions, including GHG emissions. The final rule sets new, strict standards intended to reduce air pollutant emissions, including GHG emissions; however, the new standards are now subject to legal challenge. Although the new standards are subject to legal challenge, the litigation is being held in abeyance while the agencies consider new standards. In January 2025, NHTSA announced it would review and reconsider all existing fuel economy standards applicable to motor vehicles produced from 2022 forward, including the CAFE standards. To guide the agency’s rulemaking process for the replacement standards, NHTSA issued an interpretative rule in June 2025 that set forth the agency’s interpretation of the factors the agency is prohibited by law from considering when setting maximum feasible fuel economy standards. NHTSA’s interpretative rule was subject to multiple legal challenges, though the litigation is currently being held in abeyance. In December 2025, NHTSA published a proposed rule to amend the CAFE standards for light-duty vehicles for model years 2022 to 2031. The proposed rule rolls back future model year fuel economy targets, reduces annual increases and removes the consideration of the availability of alternative fuel technology, including EVs, from the fuel economy targets. Medium- and heavy-duty standards remain under consideration. The substance and timing of updated final CAFE standards are uncertain. Additionally, EPA has proposed rescinding the GHG “Endangerment Finding,” which underpins the majority of the EPA’s GHG regulations, and the federal CAFE standards. We cannot predict whether such efforts will ultimately be successful.
California and other states have indicated they would pursue more stringent CAFE and GHG standards than required by current EPA and NHTSA standards. For example, in 2022, California issued its Advanced Clean Car II regulations, which set stricter emissions standards for light duty vehicles and mandated a transition to EVs by model year 2035. In December 2024, the EPA granted the California Air Resources Board a waiver under the Clean Air Act to implement and enforce the regulations. However, in June 2025, President Donald Trump signed three Congressional Review Act resolutions disapproving California’s Clean Air Act preemption waivers. This action was subsequently challenged by California and ten other states, and the legal challenges remain ongoing. We cannot predict whether such efforts will ultimately be successful.
Comparable laws and regulations have been enacted in the U. Comparable laws and regulations have been enacted in the U. K., including updated standards for cars, vans and heavy-duty trucks for upcoming model years. Our OEMs require lead time to prepare new vehicle models and more stringent regulations could result in increased costs and time constraints or result in our OEMs deciding to increase production targets of EVs in anticipation of such regulations. These developments could also significantly increase our costs of operation as well as reduce our volume of business. For additional information, see Item 1A. Risk Factors.
President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including executive orders impacting environmental regulations. 10President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including executive orders impacting environmental regulations. Further, the Trump Administration has taken steps to repeal or otherwise modify certain existing environmental regulations. We cannot predict whether or not these regulatory repeals will ultimately be successful or if future administrations may seek to restore such regulations. Refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Recent Events, for additional information regarding these executive orders and regulatory changes.
Insurance and Bonding
Our operations expose us to the risk of various liabilities, including:
claims by employees, customers or other third parties for personal injury, property damage or other matters;
natural disasters, such as hail, flood, tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires;
cybersecurity incidents or information technology system failures resulting in business interruption, data loss, or other adverse impacts; and
potential fines and civil and criminal penalties resulting from alleged violations of federal and state laws, regulatory requirements and other local laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate.
The automotive retailing business is also subject to substantial risk of real and personal property loss as a result of significant concentration of real and personal property values at dealership locations. Under self-insurance programs, we retain various levels of risk associated with aggregate loss limits and per claim deductibles. In certain cases, we insure costs in excess of our retained risk under various contracts with third-party insurance carriers. Although we believe our insurance coverage is adequate, we cannot be assured that we will not be exposed to uninsured losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We are also subject to potential premium cost fluctuations and changes in loss retention limits with the annual renewal of these programs.
For further discussion, refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors.

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Human Capital Management
Our human capital strategy is focused on attracting, developing, motivating and retaining top talent that will drive our success, enabling us to deliver market-leading business results. We strive to solidify Group 1 as the preferred employer of choice in automotive retail. We also believe that our workforce should be representative of the communities we serve. We foster a workplace culture around our core values of integrity, transparency, professionalism, teamwork and respect.
As of December 31, 2025, we had 20,452 employees (full-time, part-time and temporary), of which 13,563 were employed in the U.S. and 6,889 in the U.K.
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is key to driving long-term business success and supporting our way towards becoming a truly customer-centric organization, which drives value for our investors. The annual Group 1 “Your Voice Matters” Engagement Survey has become our primary employee listening platform for gathering feedback and promoting a performance-based culture. That feedback provides us with valuable insight into employees’ perception of workplace culture and progress on our corporate mission. The results inform our overall human capital management methods and other growth strategies.
We maintain programs that offer safety and health and wellness initiatives. We provide competitive pay and employee benefits, routinely benchmarking ourselves against peers and the broader industry.
Training and Development
We routinely create and offer department or job-specific training, professional development opportunities and leadership development training to meet employees’ needs. Employees have opportunities for various certification levels based on training completed and tenure. We have also developed a management training program and a technician training program to attract talent to the automotive industry. In addition to providing career growth pathways for employees, annually our Board of Directors reviews management’s succession planning for key positions throughout the organization.
Seasonality
Our operating results are generally subject to seasonal variations, as well as changes in the economic environment. In the U.S., we generally experience higher volumes of vehicle sales and service in the second and third calendar quarters of each year. In addition, in some regions of the U.S., vehicle purchases decline during the winter months due to inclement weather. In the U.K., the first and third quarters tend to be stronger, driven by the vehicle license plate change months of March and September. Other factors unrelated to seasonality, such as changes in economic conditions, manufacturer incentive programs, supply issues, seasonal weather events and/or changes in foreign currency exchange rates may exaggerate seasonal or cause counter-seasonal fluctuations in our revenues and operating income.
Internet Website and Availability of Public Filings
Our internet address is www.group1corp.group1auto. com. We make the following information available free of charge on our website:
Annual Report on Form 10-K;
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q;
Current Reports on Form 8-K;
Amendments to the reports filed or furnished electronically with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
Our Corporate Governance Guidelines;
The charters for our Audit, Compensation & Human Resources, Finance/Risk Management and Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committees;
Our Code of Conduct for Directors, Officers and Employees (“Code of Conduct”);
Our Code of Ethics for our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller (“Code of Ethics”); and
Our Corporate Responsibility Report.
Within the time period required by the SEC and the New York Stock Exchange, as applicable, we will post on our website any modifications to the Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics and any waivers applicable to senior officers as defined in the Code of Conduct or Code of Ethics, as applicable, as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. We make our filings with the SEC available on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website at https://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding our company that we file and furnish electronically with the SEC.

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References to the Company’s website in this Form 10-K are provided as a convenience and do not constitute, and should not be deemed, an incorporation by reference of the information contained on, or available through, the website, and such information should not be considered part of this Form 10-K.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
The following risks have had or in the future could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Market and Industry Risks
Availability and demand for and pricing of our products and services may be adversely impacted by economic conditions, financial developments including rising inflation, high energy prices, increasing interest rates, a potential recessionary environment and other factors.
The automotive retail industry, and especially vehicle unit sales, is influenced by general economic conditions, particularly consumer confidence, the level of personal discretionary spending, interest rates, exchange rates, fuel prices, technology and business model changes, new OEM entrants, supply conditions, consumer transportation preferences, unemployment rates and credit availability. Consumer spending can be materially and adversely impacted by periods of economic uncertainty or by consumer concern about manufacturer viability. Increased tariffs may increase inflation, which would likely result in interest rates not decreasing as fast as expected and consumer demand declining as a result of increased costs of vehicle ownership.
The global economy has experienced elevated levels of inflation in recent years. In response to higher than historical average inflationary pressures and challenging macroeconomic conditions, the U.S. Federal Reserve (“the Federal Reserve”), along with other central banks, including in the U.K., maintained interest rates at elevated levels throughout 2023. In 2024, inflation began to return to historical norms. As a result, during the year ended December 31, 2024 (“Prior Year”), the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England lowered their interest rates by 100 and 50 basis points, respectively, and during the Current Year, further lowered their interest rates by 75 and 100 basis points, respectively, in an effort to stimulate economic activity and reduce unemployment. The impact of the lowering of interest rates on the levels of inflation and unemployment in the U.S., U.K. and Europe is uncertain. In Europe, rising energy costs as a result of supply disruptions and increased winter demand for heating could place strain on our suppliers’ ability to maintain current production levels of vehicles and vehicle parts. Across the European Union, these energy constraints could result in nations or regions enacting emergency energy related policies, limiting energy availability for manufacturers. The impact of these macroeconomic developments on our operations cannot be predicted with certainty.
Inflation, increased energy costs and a prolonged recession could adversely impact our operations, the operations of our suppliers and customer demand for our vehicles, parts and services. The risk of slower future interest rate cuts or the maintenance of interest rates at current elevated levels could have a material adverse impact on our interest expense and ability to obtain financing through the debt markets, as well as consumers’ ability to obtain financing for the purchase of new and used vehicles. Refer to Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk for additional analysis regarding our interest rate sensitivity.
A significant portion of our vehicles purchased by customers are financed. Tightening of the credit markets, increases in interest rates and credit conditions have and may continue to decrease the availability or increase the costs of automotive loans and leases and adversely impact our new and used vehicle sales and margins. In particular, if sub-prime finance companies apply further higher credit standards or if there is a further decline in the overall availability of credit in the sub-prime lending market, the ability of some consumers to purchase vehicles and F&I products could be even more limited, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
In addition, local economic, competitive and other conditions affect the performance of our dealerships. Our results of operations depend substantially on general economic conditions and spending habits in those regions of the U.S. and U.K. where we maintain our operations.

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While EV sales grew in prior years, EV demand began to stabilize in 2025 in the U.S. Consumers continue to express concerns with respect to access to charging infrastructure, affordability and battery range, which may limit broader adoption of EVs. If EV demand remains uncertain while OEMs continue to shift product strategies and production plans, there could be a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including an executive order eliminating the EV mandate and the OBBBA, which was signed into law in July 2025, eliminates multiple credits previously made available for new and used EVs. In addition, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including an executive order eliminating the EV mandate. Significant shifts to increase or decrease EV demand could have material impacts on the operations of our OEM partners, which could lead to a material adverse effect on our dealership business and our results of operations. Refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Recent Events, for additional information regarding these executive orders and the OBBBA.
The U.K. government has established mandated targets for the sale of new zero emissions vehicles with increasing targets in future years. The government targets established for 2026 are higher than those previously required in 2025 and are expected to further challenge new vehicle sales in 2026 and beyond. These EV mandates could impact our vehicle manufacturers’ production mix and volumes, which in turn may impact our new vehicle sales and results of operations. Refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Recent Events, for additional information regarding the EV mandate.
Existing and potential new trade policies, such as tariffs, could adversely affect our operations, costs and business.
President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including executive orders regarding tariffs.Additionally, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including executive orders regarding tariffs. Refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Recent Events, for additional information regarding these executive orders, including those related to tariffs.
While the possibility exists for delays, reductions or exemptions of the automotive and reciprocal tariffs, the potential impacts of the tariffs described above remain uncertain and may cause a significant impact on the affordability of our products as well as the future mix of and demand for vehicles provided by our manufacturers, as well as alter the mix of supply and demand for used vehicles. To the extent any such tariffs remain in place for a sustained period of time, or in the event a global or domestic recession results therefrom, the disposable income of our customers could be significantly reduced, which may result in our customers deciding to delay new or used vehicle purchases or vehicle maintenance and repairs, or forego them entirely, each of which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, reciprocal tariffs, tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and other materials and the elevated tariffs against China could negatively impact business or consumer sentiment, demand for our products, our manufacturers’ global supply chains and the U.S. or global economy generally. Manufacturers’ supply chain dependencies and production facility locations vary (and planned facility locations may, in response to threatened tariffs and trade barriers, be changed), and as a result, certain manufacturers could be impacted more significantly by the imposition of tariffs than others. These and other risks could materially adversely affect the financial condition of any manufacturer and impact its ability to profitably design, market, produce or distribute new vehicles, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Additional actions taken by the U.S. that restrict or could impact the economics of trade — including additional tariffs, trade barriers and other similar measures — could have the potential to further disrupt existing supply chains and trigger retaliatory efforts by other countries, including the imposition of tariffs, raising taxation, setting foreign exchange or capital controls, or establishing embargoes, sanctions, or other import/export restrictions, thereby negatively impacting our business, both directly and indirectly. These developments, or the possibility that more of them could occur, may materially create or increase business uncertainty and could adversely affect the global economy and stability of global financial markets, potentially reducing trade and depressing economic activity, including demand for our products. Such changes in international trade policies may result in direct impacts to our business or indirectly to our customers or suppliers through increased costs, changes in business prospects or operating results, which could adversely affect our financial condition. The extent of such impacts cannot be predicted at this time.
Deterioration in market conditions or changes in our credit profile could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.
We rely on the positive cash flow we generate from our operations and our access to the credit and capital markets to fund our operations, growth strategy and return of cash to our shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. Changes in the credit and capital markets, including market disruptions, limited liquidity and interest rate fluctuations, may increase the cost of financing or restrict our access to these potential sources of future liquidity. Our continued access to liquidity sources on favorable terms depends on multiple factors, including our operating performance and credit ratings. Our debt securities currently are rated just below investment-grade and a downgrade of this rating likely would negatively impact our access to the debt markets and increase our cost of borrowing. Disruptions in the debt markets or any downgrade of our credit ratings could adversely affect our operations and financial condition and our ability to finance acquisitions or return cash to our shareholders. We can make no assurances that our ability to obtain additional financing through the debt markets will not be adversely affected by economic conditions or that we will be able to maintain or improve our current credit ratings.

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Our floorplan notes payable, mortgages and other debt are benchmarked to SOFR, which can be highly volatile as a result of changing economic conditions. Although we utilize derivative instruments to partially mitigate our exposure to interest rate fluctuations, significant increases in SOFR or other variable interest rates could have a material adverse impact on our interest expense due to the significance of our debt and floorplan balances. Refer to Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk for additional analysis regarding our interest rate sensitivity.
We are subject to risks associated with our dependence on manufacturer business relationships and agreements.
The success of our business is dependent on vehicle manufacturers on whom we rely exclusively on for our new vehicle inventory. Our ability to sell new vehicles is dependent on a vehicle manufacturer’s ability to produce and allocate to our dealerships an attractive, high quality and desirable product mix at the right time in order to satisfy customer demand.
Manufacturers generally support their franchisees by providing direct financial assistance in various areas, including, among others, incentives, floorplan assistance and advertising assistance. Certain of our OEM partners, including Toyota, have recently announced their intention to reduce these forms of dealership financial assistance in order to improve their profitability. If our OEM partners reduce or eliminate such incentives or increase the prices of their products, it could negatively impact consumer demand for new vehicles and adversely affect our sales volumes and profitability. Additionally, a discontinuation or material change in our manufacturers’ warranty and incentive programs could adversely affect our business. A discontinuation or change in our manufacturers’ warranty and incentive programs could adversely affect our business. Manufacturers also provide product warranties and, in some cases, service contracts to customers. Our dealerships perform warranty and service contract work for vehicles under manufacturer product warranties and service contracts, and we bill the manufacturer directly, as opposed to invoicing the customer. In addition, we rely on manufacturers for various financing programs, OEM replacement parts, training, up-to-date product design, development of advertising materials and programs and other items necessary for the success of our dealerships.
Vehicle manufacturers may be adversely impacted by economic downturns or recessions, significant declines in the sales of their new vehicles, increases in interest rates, adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, declines in their credit ratings, reductions in access to capital or credit, labor strikes or similar disruptions (including within their major suppliers), supply shortages, rising raw material costs, rising employee benefit costs, adverse publicity that may reduce consumer demand for their products, including due to bankruptcy, product defects, litigation, ability to keep up with technology and business model changes, poor product mix or unappealing vehicle design, governmental laws and regulations, natural disasters, including fires such as that at a major U.S. aluminum production facility in 2025, cybersecurity incidents or other adverse events. In particular, all of our OEMs are investing material amounts to develop electric and autonomous vehicles. These investments could cause financial strain on our OEMs or fail to deliver attractive vehicles for customers, which could lead to adverse impacts on our business. The OEMs have been and could continue to be impacted by disruptions to the economy, lower than anticipated EV adoption, higher supply chain costs than emerging EV manufacturer competitors, delays in increasing factory production, labor negotiations, parts shortages, including semiconductor chips, and other disruptions. Since 2024, a number of OEMs have announced write-offs of certain of their EV investments or scaled down electrification plans as EV demand slows, further contributing to the uncertainty of the EV market outlook and the long-term viability and profitability of OEM’s. In the Current Year, a number of OEMs have announced write-offs of certain of their EV investments or scaled down electrification plans as EV demand slows, further contributing to the uncertainty of the EV market outlook and the long-term viability and profitability of OEM’s. These and other risks could materially adversely affect the financial condition of any manufacturer and impact its ability to profitably design, market, produce or distribute new vehicles, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Since 2024, the majority of our manufacturers’ production increased, driving an improvement in vehicles days’ supply. Our new vehicle days’ supply of inventory was approximately 46 days as of December 31, 2025, as compared to 44 days and 37 days for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our new vehicle days’ supply of inventory was approximately 44 days as of December 31, 2024, as compared to 37 days and 24 days for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. It is impossible to predict with certainty when normalized production will resume at these manufacturers. If our manufacturers’ production remains at current reduced levels or in some cases continues to decline, diminishing our ability to meet the immediate needs of our customers, the production shortage could have a material adverse impact on our financial and operating results.
Additionally, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including executive orders regarding tariffs. Refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Recent Events, for additional information regarding these executive orders. Many manufacturers of vehicles, parts and supplies are dependent on imported products and raw materials in their production. Any significant increase in existing tariffs on such goods and raw materials, or implementation of new tariffs, could increase production costs for OEM’s that would then be passed on to consumers, potentially leading to higher vehicle prices and reduced demand, which in turn could adversely affect our profits on the vehicles we sell. Additionally, the tariffs and other market developments could potentially cause our current OEMs to lose market share to emerging EV-only OEMs. Market share losses could not only impair our sales and profits but lead to potential impairments.

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In addition, we may face increased competition in the markets in which we operate from vehicle manufacturers not currently represented in our dealership portfolio, including emerging Chinese automotive manufacturers. In the U.K., Chinese-branded vehicles have increased their share of new vehicle sales in recent periods, growing from approximately 8% in 2024 to approximately 13% in 2025. These manufacturers often compete aggressively on price and have expanded their offerings, including electric and hybrid vehicles, which may appeal to certain customer segments. While Chinese automotive brands currently have a limited presence in the U.S., similar competitive dynamics could develop over time. Increases in market share by new manufacturers, such as Chinese automotive brands, in either the U.K. or the U.S., could reduce demand for the vehicles we sell, increase competitive pressure on pricing and margins and adversely affect new vehicle sales volumes at our dealerships. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If we are unable to enter into new franchise agreements with manufacturers in connection with dealership acquisitions or maintain or renew our existing franchise agreements on favorable terms, our operations may be significantly impaired.
We are dependent on our relationships with manufacturers, which exercise a great degree of influence over our operations through the franchise and similar agreements. These agreements may be terminated or not renewed by the manufacturer for a variety of reasons, including network consolidation plans, any unapproved changes of ownership or management, sales and customer satisfaction performance deficiencies and other material breaches of the franchise agreements. For example, in 2023, in the U. For example, in the U. K., an OEM disclosed a five-year plan to reduce the number of partners in its dealer network. That plan may require us to dispose of, or close, up to 16 of our dealerships. That plan may require us to dispose of, or close, up to thirteen of our Volkswagen and up to three Audi dealerships. Correspondingly, the plan may require us to purchase dealerships adjacent to our territories. In the U.S., manufacturers may also have a right of first refusal if we seek to sell dealerships. We also cannot guarantee that the terms of any renewals will be as favorable to us as our current agreements. Although we are generally protected in the U.S. by automotive dealership franchise laws requiring “good cause” be shown for such termination, if such an instance occurs, we cannot guarantee that the termination of the franchise will not be successful.
A manufacturer may also limit the number of its dealerships that we may own overall or in a particular geographic area. From time to time, we have not met all of the manufacturers’ requirements to make acquisitions and have received requests from manufacturers to dispose of certain of our dealerships. In the event one or more of our manufacturers sought to prohibit future acquisitions or imposed requirements to dispose of one or more of our dealerships, our acquisition and growth strategy could be adversely affected. Furthermore, if current manufacturers or future manufacturers are not required to conduct their business in accordance with state franchise laws and thereby circumvent the current dealer-network to sell directly to the customer, our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Substantial competition in automotive sales, F&I and services could adversely impact our sales and our margins.
The automotive retail industry is highly competitive. Within our markets we are subject to competition from franchised automotive dealerships and other businesses as it relates to new and used vehicles, F&I and parts and service. The internet has become a significant part of the advertising and sales process in our industry. Customers are using the internet to compare prices for new and used vehicles, automotive repair and maintenance services, finance and insurance products and other automotive products. If we are unable to effectively use the internet to attract customers to our own online channels and mobile applications, and, in turn, to our stores, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. If we are unable to effectively use the internet to attract customers to our own online channels, such as our AcceleRide® platform, and mobile applications, and, in turn, to our stores, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. The use of social media by consumers increases the speed and extent that information and opinions can be shared, and negative posts or comments on social media about the Company or any of our dealerships could damage our reputation and brand names, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We also face competition in arranging financing for our customers’ vehicle purchases from a broad range of financial institutions. Additionally, we do not have any cost advantage in purchasing new vehicles from vehicle manufacturers, and our franchise agreements do not grant us the exclusive right to sell a manufacturer’s product within a given geographic area. Subject to state laws in the U.S. that are generally designed to protect dealers, a manufacturer may grant another dealer a franchise to start a new dealership near one of our locations, or an existing dealership may move its dealership to a location that would more directly compete against us. The location of new dealerships near our existing dealerships could have a material and adverse effect on our operations and reduce the profitability of our existing dealerships. Increased competition can adversely impact our sales volumes and margins as well as our ability to acquire dealerships.
Please see Item 1. Business — Competition for further discussion of competition in our industry.

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If we are unable to acquire and successfully integrate new dealerships into our business, the growth of our revenues and earnings could be adversely affected.
Growth in our revenues and earnings partially depends on our ability to acquire new dealerships and successfully integrate those dealerships into our existing operations. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to identify and acquire dealerships in the future. In addition, we cannot guarantee that any acquisitions will be successful or on terms and conditions consistent with past acquisitions. Restrictions imposed by our manufacturers, as well as covenants contained in our debt instruments, may directly or indirectly limit our ability to acquire additional dealerships. As competition for acquisitions increases that may result in fewer acquisition opportunities available to us and/or higher acquisition prices, and some of our competitors may have greater financial resources than us.
In addition, acquisitions involve a number of particular risks, including, among other things:
incurring significantly higher capital expenditures and operating expenses;
failing to obtain manufacturers’ consents to acquisitions of additional franchises;
failing to integrate the operations and personnel of the acquired dealerships;
entering new markets with which we are not familiar;
incurring undiscovered liabilities at acquired dealerships, generally, in the case of stock acquisitions;
disrupting our ongoing business;
failing to retain key personnel of the acquired dealerships;
failing to implement or improve controls and policies and information systems (“IT”);
impairing relationships with employees, manufacturers and customers; and
incorrectly valuing acquired entities.
The integration process for acquisitions requires us to expand the scope of our operations and financial and other systems. Our management devotes a substantial amount of time and attention to the process of integrating the operations of acquired dealerships into our business.
If any of these factors limit our ability to successfully integrate acquired dealerships into our operations or on a timely basis, our expectations regarding future results of operations, including certain revenue and expense synergies expected to result from acquisitions, might not be met. As a result, we may not be able to realize the expected benefits that we seek to achieve from the acquisitions. In addition, we may be required to spend additional time or money on integration that otherwise would be spent on the development and expansion of our business, including efforts to further expand our product portfolio.
Vehicle manufacturers may alter their distribution models.
Certain vehicle manufacturers have adopted an agency model for distribution of vehicles in the U.K. after collaborating with various automotive retailers and conducting pilot programs. In addition, other vehicle manufacturers serving the U., certain of our other vehicle manufacturers serving the U. K. and U.S. markets have announced plans to explore an agency model for selling new vehicles. Under an agency model, our franchised dealerships receive a fee for facilitating the sale of a new vehicle to a customer but no longer record the vehicle sales price as revenue, record vehicles in inventory or incur floorplan interest expense, as has been historical practice. Agency models adopted by vehicle manufacturers have resulted in reduced revenues, as we act as an agent of the vehicle manufacturer, receiving a commission for each sale and other expense fee support. We have not experienced a material negative or positive impact to the U. We did not experience a material negative or positive impact to the U. K. gross margin and consolidated results of operations as a result of the change to the agency model. region gross margin and consolidated results of operations as a result of the change to the Mercedes Benz agency model. Notwithstanding this fact, we cannot predict the actions of other manufacturers and whether the agency models proposed by them will have the same terms and conditions as those currently in effect. The agency model, if adopted by additional manufacturers, would reduce revenues with only the facilitation fee recorded as revenue. The agency model, if adopted by other manufacturers, would reduce revenues with only the facilitation fee recorded as revenue. The other impacts to our U.K. and the U.S. segments and consolidated results of operations remain uncertain until such time as vehicle manufacturers provide additional details regarding their specific agency model plans. We are uncertain if agency models will be widely adopted in the U.K. or U.S.

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Vehicle technology advancements and changes in consumer vehicle ownership preferences could adversely affect our new and used vehicle sales volumes, parts and service revenues and results of operations.
Vehicle technology advancements are occurring at an accelerating pace. These include driver assist functionality, autonomous vehicle development and rideshare and vehicle co-ownership business models. Many in the automotive industry believe that in the near future vehicles will be available to the automotive consumer at low usage costs, which may entice many vehicle owners, particularly in larger, highly populated areas, to abandon individual car ownership in favor of multiple co-ownership ride-sharing opportunities. Increased popularity in the ride-sharing subscription business model could adversely affect our new and used vehicle sales volumes, parts and service revenues and results of operations.
Operational Risks
We rely on third-party vendors and suppliers for key components of our business.
Many components of our business, including data management, key operational processes and critical customer systems, are provided by or licensed from various third-party vendors and suppliers. In addition, we also rely on third-party vendors to supply key products and services to us and our customers. One or more of these third-party vendors or suppliers may experience financial distress, technology challenges, cybersecurity incidents, staffing shortages or liquidity challenges, file for bankruptcy protection, go out of business, or suffer other disruptions in their business, each of which could affect their ability to serve us and our customers. For example, in June 2024, CDK Global LLC (“CDK”) experienced a cybersecurity event, which resulted in service outages on CDK’s dealers’ systems including our CDK DMS. If any of our vendors or suppliers fail to deliver their products or services for any reason, our business and results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely impacted.
A failure of any of our IT or those of our third-party service providers or a cybersecurity incident, including loss or unauthorized access of confidential information or PII about our customers or employees, could negatively affect our business, operations and financial condition.A failure of any of our information systems or those of our third-party service providers or a cybersecurity incident, including loss or unauthorized access of confidential information or PII about our customers or employees, could negatively affect our business, operations and financial condition.
We depend on the efficient operation of our IT and those of our third-party service providers and rely on IT at our dealerships in all aspects of our sales and service efforts, as well as in the preparation of our consolidated financial and operating data.We depend on the efficient operation of our information systems and those of our third-party service providers and rely on information systems at our dealerships in all aspects of our sales and service efforts, as well as in the preparation of our consolidated financial and operating data. All of our dealerships currently operate on two DMSs, one DMS for the U.S. and one DMS for the U.K. Additionally, in the ordinary course of business, we receive significant PII about our customers and our employees. PII is primarily collected at our dealerships and through our digital platform via an online DMS. PII is primarily collected at our dealerships and through our AcceleRide® platform via an online DMS. A cybersecurity attack to obtain such information could be caused by malicious insiders and third parties using sophisticated, targeted methods to circumvent firewalls, encryption and other security defenses, including hacking, malware, fraud, trickery, or other forms of deception. Although companies across all industries are affected by malicious efforts to obtain access to PII, the automotive dealership industry has been a particular target of identity thieves. The techniques used by cyber attackers change frequently and may be difficult to detect. We have implemented security measures that are designed to detect and protect against cyberattacks, as well as policies governing the deletion of PII, to limit the information exposed to a potential cyberattack.
Despite these measures and any additional measures we may implement or adopt in the future, our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, have been and are vulnerable to security breaches, computer viruses, malware, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, scams, ransomware, burglary, human errors, acts of vandalism, misdirected wire transfers or other events. If an unauthorized party is successful in obtaining trade secrets, PII, confidential, or otherwise protected information of our dealerships, our customers or our employees or in disrupting our operations through a cyberattack, the attack could result in loss of revenue, increase the costs of doing business, harm our competitiveness, reputation or customer or vendor relationships, satisfaction or loyalty. In addition, security breaches and other security incidents could expose us to a risk of loss or exposure of this information, which could result in potential liability, investigations, regulatory fines, penalties for violation of applicable laws or regulations, costs related to remediation or the payment of ransom, and litigation including individual claims or consumer class actions, administrative, civil or criminal investigations or actions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Likewise, our business could be significantly disrupted if (i) the DMS fails to integrate with other third-party IT, customer relations management tools or other software, or to the extent that any of these systems become unavailable to us or fail to perform as designed for an extended period of time or (ii) our relationship with our DMS providers or any other third-party provider deteriorates. Likewise, our business could be significantly disrupted if (i) the DMS fails to integrate with other third-party information systems, customer relations management tools or other software, or to the extent that any of these systems become unavailable to us or fail to perform as designed for an extended period of time or (ii) our relationship with our DMS providers or any other third-party provider deteriorates.

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Despite ongoing efforts to improve our ability to protect data from compromise, we may not be able to protect all of our data across our diverse systems and third-party vendors. For example, during the quarter ended June 30, 2024, we were informed of a cybersecurity incident experienced by CDK, which resulted in service outages on CDK’s dealers’ systems (the “CDK Incident”). CDK provides clients in the automotive industry, including our dealerships in the U.S., with a software as a service platform used by dealerships in managing customer relationships, sales, financing, service, inventory and back-office operations. In response to the CDK Incident, we immediately activated our cyber incident response procedures and proactively took measures to protect and isolate our systems from CDK’s platform. All of our U.S. dealerships continued to conduct business using alternative processes until CDK’s dealers’ systems were fully back online. We also do not believe that the CDK Incident resulted in a breach of any PII about our customers or employees. Our dealerships in the U.K. do not use CDK’s dealers’ systems and were therefore not impacted by the CDK service outage. As a consequence, we do not expect the CDK Incident to have a material impact on our overall financial condition or on its ongoing results of operations. However, if we, or any of our third-party services providers were to experience a material cybersecurity event, our business and results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely impacted.
A cybersecurity breach, including loss of confidential information or a breach of PII about our customers or employees, could negatively affect operations and result in high costs.
In the ordinary course of business, we receive significant PII about our customers and our employees. A cybersecurity attack to obtain such information could be caused by malicious insiders and third parties using sophisticated, targeted methods to circumvent firewalls, encryption and other security defenses, including hacking, fraud, trickery, or other forms of deception. Although many companies across many industries are affected by malicious efforts to obtain access to PII, the automotive dealership industry and overall retail industry have been a particular target of identity thieves. Although many companies across many industries are affected by malicious efforts to obtain access to PII, the automotive dealership industry has been a particular target of identity thieves. The techniques used by cyber attackers change frequently and may be difficult to detect for long periods of time. We have implemented security measures that are designed to detect and protect against cyberattacks, as well as policies governing the deletion of PII, to limit the information exposed to a potential cyberattack.
Despite these measures and any additional measures we may implement or adopt in the future, our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, have been and are vulnerable to security breaches, computer viruses, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, scams, ransomware, burglary, human errors, acts of vandalism, misdirected wire transfers or other events. If an unauthorized party is successful in obtaining trade secrets, PII, confidential, or otherwise protected information of our dealerships, our customers or our employees or in disrupting our operations through a cyberattack, the attack could result in loss of revenue, increase costs of doing business, negatively affect customer satisfaction and loyalty, and expose us to negative publicity. In addition, security breaches and other security incidents could expose us to a risk of loss or exposure of this information, which could result in potential liability, investigations, regulatory fines, penalties for violation of applicable laws or regulations, costs related to remediation or the payment of ransom, and litigation including individual claims or consumer class actions, administrative, civil or criminal investigations or actions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Further, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography, inadequate facility security or other developments may result in a compromise or breach of the technology we use to safeguard confidential, personal, or otherwise protected information. As the breadth and complexity of the technologies we use continue to grow, including as a result of the use of mobile devices, cloud services, open-source software, social media and the increased reliance on devices connected to the internet, the potential risk of security breaches and cybersecurity attacks also increases. Despite ongoing efforts to improve our ability to protect data from compromise, we may not be able to protect all of our data across our diverse systems and third-party vendors. Our efforts to improve security and protect data result in increased capital and operating costs.
In addition, we are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect the information of clients, customers, employees and other third parties that we collect and maintain. See Item 1. Business — Governmental Regulations for information on our risks related to compliance with such laws and regulations.
Our insurance does not fully cover all of our operational risks, and changes in the cost of insurance or the availability of insurance could materially increase our insurance costs or result in a decrease in our insurance coverage.
The operation of automobile dealerships is subject to a broad variety of risks. While we have insurance on our real property, comprehensive coverage for our vehicle inventory, general liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, employee dishonesty coverage, cybersecurity breach insurance, employment practices liability insurance, pollution coverage and errors and omissions insurance in connection with vehicle sales and financing activities, we are self-insured for a portion of our potential liabilities. We purchase insurance policies for worker’s compensation, liability, auto physical damage, property, pollution, employee medical benefits and other risks consisting of large deductibles and/or self-insured retentions.

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In certain instances, our insurance may not fully cover an insured loss depending on the magnitude and nature of the claim. Additionally, changes in the cost of insurance or the availability of insurance in the future could substantially increase our costs to maintain our current level of coverage or could cause us to reduce our insurance coverage and increase the portion of our risks that we self-insure.
The insurance companies that underwrite our insurance require that we secure certain of our obligations for self-insured exposures with collateral. Our collateral requirements are set by the insurance companies and, to date, have been satisfied by posting surety bonds, letters of credit and/or cash deposits. Our collateral requirements may change from time to time based on, among other things, our total insured exposure and the related self-insured retention assumed under the policies. We are subject to potential premium cost fluctuations with the annual renewal of these programs.
Natural disasters and adverse weather events can disrupt our business and may adversely impact our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Some of our dealerships are concentrated in states and regions in the U.S. and U.K., in which actual or threatened natural disasters and severe weather events (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, snowstorms, flooding, tornados and hailstorms) have in the past, and may in the future, disrupt our dealership operations. A disruption in our operations can adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. In addition to business interruption, the automotive retailing business is subject to substantial risk of property loss due to the significant concentration of property value at dealership locations. Natural disasters and severe weather events have in the past, and may in the future, impair the value of our dealership property and other assets. Although we have, subject to certain limitations and exclusions, substantial insurance, including business interruption insurance, we may be exposed to uninsured losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, should we suffer significant losses in a short period of time, we run the risk that our premiums and/or deductibles could increase, which could adversely affect our business.
Risks associated with our international operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We have operations in the U.K. and as a result, we may face political and economic risks and uncertainties with respect to our international operations. and as a result, we face political and economic risks and uncertainties with respect to our international operations. These risks may include, but are not limited to:
legal uncertainties, timing delays and expenses associated with tariffs, labor matters, import or export licenses and other trade barriers;
transparency issues in general and, more specifically, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1974, as amended, the U.K. Bribery Act and other anti-corruption compliance laws and issues;
inability to obtain or preserve franchise rights in the foreign countries in which we operate;
fluctuations in foreign currency translations within our financial statements driven by exchange rate volatility; and
infrastructure challenges associated with the U.K.’s transition to EVs.
We may fail to meet analyst and investor expectations, which could cause the price of our stock to decline.
Our common stock is traded publicly, and various securities analysts follow our financial results and frequently issue reports on the Company which include information about our historical financial results as well as their estimates of our future performance. These estimates are based on their own opinions and are often different from management’s estimates or expectations of our business. If our operating results are below the estimates or expectations of public market analysts and the expectations of our investors, our stock price could decline, adversely affecting, among other things, our access to capital and investor confidence in management and those charged with governance.
Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks
Regulatory requirements to reduce emissions in response to climate change, as well as changes in consumer demand towards fuel-efficient vehicles, and shifts in product offerings by manufacturers to meet such demand could adversely affect our new and used vehicle sales volumes, parts and service revenues and our results of operations.
Volatile fuel prices have affected and may continue to affect consumer preferences in connection with the purchase of our vehicles. Rising fuel prices result in consumers being less likely to purchase larger, more expensive vehicles, such as sports utility vehicles or luxury automobiles, and more likely to purchase smaller, less expensive and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Conversely, lower fuel prices could have the opposite effect. Sudden changes in customer preferences make maintenance of an optimal mix of large and small vehicle inventory a challenge. Further increases or sharp declines in fuel prices could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

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Changes in fuel prices, changes in customer preferences, government support, improvements in EVs and more EV options have increased the customer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles and EVs. Significant increases in fuel economy requirements, new federal or state restrictions on emissions of carbon dioxide or new federal or state incentive programs that have or may be imposed on vehicles and automobile fuels could adversely affect demand for certain vehicles, annual miles driven or the products we sell. However, vehicle fuel economy standards, and the ability of federal and state agencies to set fuel economy standards, have recently been subject to significant uncertainty. In August 2025, the EPA issued a proposed rule to rescind the “Endangerment Finding,” which underpins the majority of the EPA’s GHG regulations, and all GHG emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines. We cannot predict whether such efforts will ultimately be successful. Moreover, in December 2025, NHTSA published a proposed rule to amend the fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles for model years 2022 to 2031. The proposed rule rolls back future model year fuel economy targets, reduces annual increases and removes the consideration of the availability of alternative fuel technology, including EVs, from the fuel economy targets, though the substance and timing of the final rule is uncertain. However, any future standards that result in stricter fuel economy standards could significantly increase our costs of operation as well as reduce our volume of business. Representatives of the U.K. government have committed to a ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars after 2030, with all new cars and vans required to be fully zero-emission by 2035, although proposals have since been made to rescind or dramatically scale back the ban. These and similar proposals may have a significant impact on the future mix of vehicles provided by our manufacturers. Any future impact of these regulations on our operations cannot be predicted with certainty.
With a potential increase in demand by consumers for EVs, and the former Biden administration’s support for such actions, certain manufacturers announced plans to increase production of fuel-efficient vehicles and EVs. As more EVs potentially enter the market, and internal combustion or diesel engine vehicle production is reduced, it will be necessary to adapt to such changes by selling and servicing these units effectively in order to meet consumer demands and support the profitability of our dealerships. We may not be able to accurately predict, prepare for and respond to new kinds of technological innovations with respect to EV and other technologies that minimize emissions. If maintenance costs of EVs were to substantially decrease, this could have a material adverse effect on our parts and service revenues. If consumer demand increases for fuel efficient vehicles or EVs and our manufacturers are not able to adapt and produce vehicles that meet the customer demands or we are unable to align with the manufacturers of these vehicles, such events could adversely affect our new and used vehicle sales volumes, parts and service revenues and our results of operations. However, incentives for EVs have recently been subject to significant change and uncertainty. President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including an executive order eliminating the EV mandate and the OBBBA eliminates multiple credits previously made available for new and used EVs. President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including an executive order withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. Refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Recent Events, for additional information regarding these executive orders and the OBBBA.
Additionally, in October 2023, the Governor of California signed the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (“CCDAA”) and Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (“CRFRA”) into law. The CCDAA requires both public and private U.S. companies that are “doing business in California” and that have a total annual revenue of $1 billion to publicly disclose and verify, on an annual basis, Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions, with reporting required on or before August 10, 2026. The CRFRA requires the disclosure of a climate-related financial risk report (in line with the Task Force on the Climate-related Financial Disclosures recommendations or equivalent disclosure requirements under the International Sustainability Standards Board’s climate-related disclosure standards) every other year for public and private companies that are “doing business in California” and have total annual revenue of $500 million. Reporting under both laws was to begin in 2026. However, both laws are currently subject to legal challenges and on November 18, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit enjoined the implementation of the CRFRA, leaving the deadline for the initial report under the CRFRA unclear. Although the outcome of the legal challenges are uncertain at this time, finalization and implementation may result in additional costs to comply with these disclosure requirements, as well as increased costs of and restrictions on access to capital for us or our customers. However, absent clarification or revisions to the law, finalization and implementation may result in additional costs to comply with these disclosure requirements, as well as increased costs of and restrictions on access to capital for us or our customers.
Increased attention to sustainability matters may adversely impact our business, reputation and access to capital.
We face increased attention and evolving expectations from investors, regulators and other stakeholders regarding sustainability matters, including climate change, environmental and social impacts, and voluntary or mandatory climate disclosures. Increased demand for alternative forms of energy may increase costs, reduce demand for our products, and contribute to increased investigations and litigation, any of which could adversely our business. Increased attention to climate change and environmental conservation, for example, may result in demand shifts for our products and additional governmental investigations and private litigation against us. In some cases, liability or regulatory action may be pursued without regard to our causation of, or contribution to, the asserted harm. While we may participate in various sustainability frameworks and certification programs, we cannot guarantee that such participation or certification will achieve intended outcomes or improve perceptions of our products or business. As competition for acquisitions increases that may result in fewer acquisition opportunities available to us and/or higher acquisition prices, and some of our competitors may have greater financial resources than us.

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Voluntary sustainability disclosures may be based on expectations, assumptions or hypothetical scenarios that are uncertain, subject to change and difficult to verify over long time horizons. Such expectations, assumptions or hypothetical scenarios are necessarily uncertain and may be prone to error or subject to misinterpretation given the long timelines involved and the lack of an established approach to identifying, measuring, and reporting on many sustainability matters. Additionally, while we may also announce various voluntary sustainability targets, such targets are often aspirational and may be subject to change depending on changed circumstances, methodologies, business forecasts or other factors. We may not be able to meet or make progress against such targets in the manner or on such a timeline as initially contemplated, including, but not limited to as a result of unforeseen costs or technical difficulties associated with achieving such results. Despite these aspirational goals, we may receive pressure from investors, lenders, or other groups to adopt more aggressive climate or other sustainability-related goals, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to pursue or implement such goals, in whole or in part, because of potential costs or technical or operational obstacles.
Certain public statements regarding sustainability matters are subject to increasing regulatory, litigation and political scrutiny, including allegations of “greenwashing” or challenges from so-called “anti-ESG” constituencies, which could result in investigations, enforcement actions, litigation or reputational harm. Additionally, certain employment or business practices and social initiatives are the subject of scrutiny by both those calling for the continued advancement of such policies, as well as those who believe they should be curbed, including government actors. The complex regulatory and legal frameworks applicable to such initiatives continue to evolve. As a result, we may face increased litigation risks from private parties and governmental authorities related to our sustainability efforts. Such sustainability-related matters may also impact our customers or suppliers, which may adversely impact our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Changes to laws and regulations could adversely impact our operations and financial condition.
New laws and regulations at the state and federal level may be enacted which could materially adversely impact our business. For example, in December 2023, the FTC adopted new regulations for automotive dealers that would prohibit a wide range of current industry-accepted sales practices with regard to sales and advertising of our vehicles and products, require an extensive series of both oral and written disclosures to be made at the initial contact in regard to the sale price of vehicles, financial terms and voluntary protection products, mandate the posting of certain pricing and other information on dealer websites, and impose burdensome recordkeeping requirements. While the proposed rule has been vacated, California has adopted its version which captures some of the disclosure and transparency goals of the FTC. Our failure to adhere to these new rules or similar future regulations could subject the Company to significant monetary and other penalties or require us to make adjustments to our products and services, any or all of which could result in lost revenues, increased expenses and substantial adverse publicity. While the proposed rule has been vacated, if similar regulations were implemented, our failure to adhere to new policies could subject the Company to significant monetary and other penalties or require us to make adjustments to our products and services, any or all of which could result in lost revenues, increased expenses and substantial adverse publicity. These changes, if adopted as proposed, may lead to longer transaction times for the sale of vehicles, complicate the transaction process, decrease customer satisfaction, and impose recordkeeping burdens on our employees, among other effects. If these regulations were to be enacted, it could have an adverse effect on our business and profitability. Future legislation and regulations and changes in existing legislation and regulations, or interpretations thereof, could cause additional expenditures, tax liabilities, restrictions and delays in connection with our current business as well as future projects, the extent of which cannot be predicted.
We are subject to automotive and other laws and regulations, which, if we are found to have violated, may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
A number of laws and regulations applicable to automotive companies affect our business and conduct, including, but not limited to, our sales, operations, financing, insurance, advertising and employment practices. Other rules such as franchise laws and regulations, consumer protection laws and other extensive laws and regulations apply to new and used motor vehicle dealers. Additionally, in every jurisdiction in which we operate, we must obtain various permits and licenses in order to conduct our business. Any failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in administrative, civil or criminal penalties, the imposition of investigatory remedial obligations or the limitations on certain aspects of our operations.
Refer to Item 1. Business — Governmental Regulations for further discussion of automotive and other laws and regulations impacting our business.

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Operational risks associated with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations may expose us to significant costs and liabilities.
Our business activities in the U.S. and U.K. are subject to stringent federal, state and local laws, regulations and other controls governing specific health and safety criteria to address worker protection, the release of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. These laws, regulations and controls may impose numerous obligations upon our operations including the acquisition of permits to conduct regulated activities, the imposition of restrictions on where or how to manage or dispose of used products and wastes, the occurrence of capital expenditures to limit or prevent releases of such material and the imposition of substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations or attributable to former operations. Our compliance with these regulations may expose us to significant costs and liabilities.
With a potential increase in demand by consumers for EVs, we may incur costs and liabilities to sell and service EVs, including, but not limited to, personal protective equipment for employees, capital expenditures for specialized tools and equipment, service shop space and battery storage costs. However, incentives related to EVs have recently been subject to change and uncertainty. President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including executive orders eliminating the EV mandate and impacting environmental regulations, and the OBBBA eliminates multiple credits previously made available for new and used EVs. President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including an executive order withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. Refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Recent Events, for additional information regarding these executive orders and the OBBBA.
Additionally, vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. and U.K. are subject to varying guidelines, laws and regulations adopted by their applicable governmental and administrative agencies, which include GHG emissions and CAFE standards in the U.S. Such standards may affect our manufacturers’ ability to produce cost effective vehicles, which may have a material adverse effect on our sales.
Refer to Item 1. Business — Governmental Regulations for further discussion of environmental regulations impacting our business.
Risks Related to Accounting Matters
The impairment of our goodwill and/or indefinite-lived intangibles could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We assess goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently when events or circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred. Performance issues at individual dealerships, as well as adverse retail automotive industry and economic trends, increase the risk of an impairment charge, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we recorded $93.0 million of goodwill impairments. No goodwill impairments were recorded during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. During the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, we recognized $91.1 million, $28.2 million and $25.1 million, respectively, of intangible franchise rights impairment. We may be required to record impairment charges if market and industry conditions deteriorate to such a level whereby the fair value of our reporting units, individually, is less than the carrying value of the corresponding reporting unit. We are subject to several market and industry risks as outlined elsewhere herein this Item 1A. Risk Factors, which could have a material adverse impact on our cash flows. We cannot accurately predict the amount and timing of any additional impairment charge at this time; however, any such impairment charge could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Refer to Note 12. Intangible Franchise Rights and Goodwill within our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of impairment.
New accounting guidance or changes in the interpretation or application of existing accounting guidance could adversely affect our financial performance.
The implementation of new SEC rules and regulations and accounting standards could require certain systems, internal processes and controls and other changes that could increase our operating costs, and result in changes to our financial statements.
U.S. GAAP and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by our management. Changes in these rules or their interpretation or in underlying management assumptions, estimates or judgments could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance. The outcome of such changes could include litigation or regulatory actions which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

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Our internal controls and procedures may fail or be circumvented.
Management has designed and implemented, and periodically reviews and updates, our internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. While we have not experienced a material failure of our internal controls, any system of controls, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the system are met. Any failure or circumvention of our controls and procedures, or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Description of Processes for Assessing, Identifying and Managing Cybersecurity Risks
In the ordinary course of business, our IT on which we run our business operations and store confidential or proprietary data, such as PII about our customers and our employees, are subject to potential cyber-attack. The techniques used by cyber attackers change frequently and may be difficult to detect for long periods of time. See Item 1A. Risk Factors for additional information about the risks to our business associated with a breach or compromise to our IT systems. We have implemented security measures that are designed to detect and protect against cyberattacks. We endeavor to align our processes and procedures with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework. Our processes and procedures align with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework. In particular, we seek to assess, identify and manage cybersecurity risks through the processes described below:
Risk Assessment
A multi-layered system designed to protect and monitor data and cybersecurity risk has been implemented. Regular assessments and testing of our cybersecurity safeguards are conducted by independent third-party cybersecurity experts. Our internal audit department additionally conducts regular audits to assess management’s processes and controls employed to identify and manage material cybersecurity risks. We use a variety of layered applications to alert us to suspicious activity.
Incident Identification and Response
A security information and event management process (“SIEM”) has been implemented to help identify cybersecurity incidents. In the event of any breach or cybersecurity incident, we have an incident response plan within our SIEM that is designed to provide for action to contain the incident, mitigate the impact and restore normal operations efficiently. Our IT and Security team manages our incident response plan, which establishes a comprehensive system and process for tracking and logging cybersecurity occurrences, reviewing the occurrences to determine whether remediation or escalation is appropriate, and escalating certain occurrences to the Company’s Chief Information Officer (the “CIO”) for further review and assessment. We conduct annual exercises and reviews of our cyber incident response plan. We conduct annual reviews of our cyber incident response plan.
Cybersecurity Training and Awareness
Cybersecurity awareness among our employees is promoted with regular training and phishing awareness programs. Employees who access our systems are required to undergo cybersecurity training and, each year, employees are required to test their understanding of our cybersecurity policies. Employees who access our systems are required to undergo annual cybersecurity training and, each year, employees are required to test their understanding of our cybersecurity policies. Further, our employees that handle PII are required to undergo specialized training on the appropriate management, use and protection of that information.
Access Controls
We have endeavored to implement physical access controls to prevent access to endpoints that may leave Company data vulnerable to attack. We have also sought to implement systems to prevent encrypted information from bypassing certain Company-defined information control mechanisms and have also sought to purge or wipe information from certain Company-defined endpoints after consecutive, unsuccessful logon attempts or other indicators of unauthorized access.
Finally, we have implemented encrypted virtual private networks in an effort to enhance the integrity of remote connections and have endeavored to protect wireless access points to our systems using authentication of users and/or devices. Segmented networks and user access controls are used to limit unauthorized access to sensitive information and systems. Employees are required to use multi-factor authentication and regularly update their passwords.

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Encryption and Data Protection
Encryption methods are used to protect sensitive data in transit and at rest. This includes the encryption of customer data, financial information and other confidential data. We also have a program in place to monitor our retained data by identifying PII and ensuring it is not stored outside of approved locations and systems. We maintain policies that govern the deletion of PII to limit the information exposed to a potential cyberattack. We have endeavored to use strong, up-to-date encryption algorithms and to regularly update and patch systems in an effort to guard against vulnerabilities. Similarly, we have sought to manage encryption keys with use of a secure key management system and rotation of keys after use. We have implemented secure protocols, including, e.g., HTTP secure for web traffic, secure file transfer protocol for file transfers and application programming interfaces., hypertext transfer protocol secure for web traffic and secure file transfer protocol for file transfers.
Additionally, we have sought to implement processes designed to monitor cybersecurity and protect our data. Our cybersecurity safeguards, including those provided by third parties, are designed to monitor for unauthorized access. These services are designed to monitor both internal and external threats.
We engage several third-party consultants in connection with our risk assessment and risk management, and we have established separate processes and procedures to oversee and identify cybersecurity risks associated with third parties.
The above cybersecurity risk management processes are integrated into the Company’s overall enterprise risk management program. Cybersecurity risks are understood to be significant business risks, and as such, are considered as an important component of our enterprise-wide risk management approach.
Impact of Risks from Cybersecurity Threats
As of the date of this Form 10-K, though the Company and our service providers have experienced certain cybersecurity incidents, we are not aware of any cybersecurity threats that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including our business strategy, results of operations, and financial condition. However, we acknowledge that cybersecurity threats are continually evolving, and the possibility of future cybersecurity incidents remains. Our processes designed to monitor cybersecurity incidents are also intended to protect our data. Our cybersecurity safeguards, including those provided by third parties, are designed to monitor for unauthorized access, extraction, and deletion of certain sensitive data, large quantities of data, and other anomalous network traffic. These services are designed to monitor both internal and external threats. Despite the implementation of our cybersecurity processes, our security measures cannot guarantee that a significant cyberattack will not occur. A successful attack on our IT systems could have significant consequences to our business. While we devote resources to our security measures to protect our systems and information, these measures cannot provide absolute security. See Item 1A. Risk Factors for additional information about the risks to our business associated with a breach or compromise to our IT systems.
Board of Directors’ Oversight of Risks from Cybersecurity Threats
The Board of Directors oversees risks from cybersecurity threats. The Board of Directors delegates oversight of our enterprises’ operational risks, including quarterly reviews of cybersecurity and data protection, to the Finance/Risk Management Committee, and delegates compliance with cybersecurity policies to the Audit Committee. The Board of Directors delegates oversight of our operations risk, including quarterly reviews of cybersecurity and data protection, to the Finance/Risk Management Committee, and delegates compliance with cybersecurity policies to the Audit Committee. Both the Finance/Risk Management Committee and the Audit Committee report to the full Board of Directors on cybersecurity matters. Additionally, on an annual basis, management reviews results from tests of key cybersecurity systems with the full Board of Directors and the steps taken to mitigate new cybersecurity risks which have been identified.
The Finance/Risk Management Committee oversees the formal process to identify risks company-wide, allocate them to the appropriate committee of the Board of Directors, and ensure that risk mitigation activities are being followed. At each of its meetings, the Finance/Risk Management Committee receives presentations from our CIO on cybersecurity and information security risk, as well as our cybersecurity initiatives. At each of its meetings, the Finance/Risk Management Committee receives presentations from our Chief Information Officer (the “CIO”) on cybersecurity and information security risk, as well as our cybersecurity initiatives.
The Audit Committee oversees compliance with cybersecurity policies with guidance from members of management, including the Vice President of Internal Audit, who informs the Audit Committee on the audit results of cybersecurity controls.

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Management’s Role in Assessing and Managing Cybersecurity Threats
Our CIO is responsible for assessing and managing the Company’s material risks from cybersecurity threats, including our efforts to comply with cybersecurity standards, establish industry-recognized protocols and protect the integrity, confidentiality and availability of our IT infrastructure. The CIO is supported by the IT and Security team. Our CIO and various members of the IT and Security team meet regularly to address key security and privacy issues. Our CIO and various members of the IT and Security team, meet regularly with members of management to address key security and privacy issues. Our CIO reports to our Chief Financial Officer and has more than 26 years of infrastructure and cybersecurity experience, having served in various technology leadership roles at the Company since joining in 1999. The Company has an established review and escalation process for assessing cybersecurity occurrences, and if necessary, escalating cybersecurity incidents to members of our senior management team and Board of Directors. Our internal audit department additionally conducts regular audits to assess management’s processes and controls employed to identify and manage material cybersecurity risks.
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